Mental illness is real. It is not a malady made up by the sad and pathetic seeking attention from a society that could not care to shelter them, let alone recognise the existence of their disease. It cannot be willed away any more than a malignant tumour can. Sufferers cannot choose joy or cheer up (they have tried). Mental illness is not a choice. Nobody would willingly choose to submit their mind to myriad forms of torture. Mental illness and mental disorders are debilitating phenomena that affect about 16.5% of South Africans (that we know of), and yet society emphatically denies their existence and the severe effects they have on those who suffer from them, as well as those indirectly affected. An unwillingness effectively to engage with mental illness results in the silencing and shaming of those who suffer. There is an unfortunate stench attached to mental illness that permeates different contexts of society, and that carries with it harmful myths. Some cultural and religious ...
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